The present invention relates generally to vegetation cutting, and more particularly relates to a grass cutting device which includes a reverse safety feature
Lawn mowers and the like have been in use for many years. Such lawn mowers can include xe2x80x9cridingxe2x80x9d lawn movers, such as rear engine riders or lawn or garden ractors.
Such mowers allow for the cutting of grass or other vegetation in forward, neutral, or reverse.
There has recently been recognized a need in the art to provide an improved lawn mower which prevents or at least limits reverse operation of the lawn mower while the cutting blade is engaged.
The present invention overcomes deficiencies in the art by providing a lawn grass or other vegetation cutting apparatus and method of using same which precludes a lawn mower from going into reverse unless the lawn mower blade is first disengaged, while allowing the lawn mower cutting blade to be reengaged upon being placed in reverse, said latch nevertheless allowing the lawn mower to be moved out of reverse without disengaging said lawn mower blade.
Generally described, a lawn mower apparatus capable of cutting grass or other vegetation, the apparatus comprising a cutting blade capable of cutting the grass or other vegetation, a cutting blade control selectively movable between a cutting position and an idle, non-cutting, position, for causing the cutting blade to be either in a cutting mode or an idle mode, respectively, a shift lever selectively moveable between a forward and a reverse position, for causing forward and rearward movement of the lawn mower, respectively, a reverse lock out latch movable between a blocking position and a cleared position, the reverse lock out latch when in the cleared position configured to allow movement of the shift lever between the forward and reverse positions, the reverse lock out latch when in the blocking position configured to block movement of the shift lever from the forward position towards the reverse position, the reverse lock out latch also configured to be moved into the blocked position when the shift is in the reverse position, and control linkage intermediate the cutting blade control and the reverse lock out latch, the control linkage configured to cause the reverse lock out latch to be moved to the blocking position when the blade is in the cutting mode, such that if a user attempts to shift the lawn mower from forward to reverse movement by use of the shift lever while the blade is in the cutting mode, the cutting blade control must first be moved into the idle position to allow the reverse locking latch to move to the cleared position, whereupon the shift lever may then be moved to the reverse position and then the cutting blade control may be moved back into the cutting mode to cut in reverse.
Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved lawn mower.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved lawn mower which at least initially prevents the user from placing the mower into reverse when the cutting blade is engaged.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved lawn mower which prevents the user from placing the mower into reverse when the cutting blade is engaged unless a separate overriding control is used.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved lawn mower which allows the user to evaluate the cutting process when placing the mower into reverse.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention when taken in conjunction with the drawing and the appended claims.